The team from South America is the sporting favorite in the first duel in Group A, Qatar but as the current Asia Cup winner and unbeaten for five games, he goes into the game with a big chest. “We are strong and no one can destabilize us with this criticism and statements,” said coach Felix Sanchez. Qatar is the first World Cup debutant since Italy 1934 to also play host.
The World Cup opening game in the live ticker:
Qatar has been criticized for years because of the tense human rights situation and the situation of migrant workers. in the Podcast “Light and Shadow” the OÖN editors Florian Wurzinger and Markus Prinz take a critical look at the conditions in the country of the World Cup host in five episodes. The first episode deals with the development of Qatar from an insignificant small state on the Persian Gulf to one of the richest countries in the world. Here you can hear what the World Cup, Taliban fighters and 20,000 cows have to do with it:
Opening with a big light show
Even before the kick-off, the World Cup is on Sunday opened with a colorful and bright show. In the Al-Bait Stadium north of Doha, a number of artists celebrated the opening ceremony in several acts before the World Cup match between Qatar and Ecuador. Hollywood star Morgan Freeman and South Korean pop star Jung Kook were also there. Loud applause was heard as Head of State Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“The day we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. People of different religions and views will gather here. Their diversity brings them together,” said Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the end of the approximately 30-minute celebration. Kook and the Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi presented the official World Cup song “Dreamers”. “The theme of the opening ceremony is gathering all people, bridging differences between humanity, respect and inclusion,” FIFA previously said. The finals in Qatar run until December 18th.
“I saw quite a lot of hypocrisy in it. Diversity was addressed, inclusion was shown, tolerance was talked about – but from a country and from people who don’t live it,” said Wenzel Michalski, Germany director of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, on ZDF about the opening ceremony: “And for so long it’s a hollow and kitschy statement that we saw there.”
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I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
